Earth, Air, Fire, Water: Elements for new ‘green’ office block

A new mixed-use office space, designed for flexibility and energy efficiency has been recently completed in the Gujarati city of Surat.

This eight-story office block by New Delhi-based multidisciplinary firm Urbanscape Architects, called Sangini House, integrates high-performance energy, rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation systems as part of a goal to achieve the green ‘Platinum Rating’ from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

GALLERY  

The design breaks the urban mold with its rounded and partly perforated form, which is softened by lush plantings that drape over the balconies, giving the whole building a sumptuous feel to it.

Commissioned by construction company the Sangini group, the Sagini House in Surat consists of two floors of commercial space and four floors of office space. A site-specific solar analysis informed the orientation and design of the building to maximize access to natural light while minimizing the effects of unwanted glare. As a result, the architects clad part of the building with a jali-inspired stone facade in Red Agra. The three-dimensional perforations let in light and provide shade, while giving the building an attractive, patterned look from afar. The front facade of the building projects outward with a series of sheltered and cantilevered outdoor balconies covered with greenery.

Inside, column-free office spaces make the most of the building’s access to natural light. Exposed concrete is used primarily for the walls and ceilings; however, reclaimed wood and other timbers are inserted to lend a sense of warmth. Other natural materials, such as stone and glass, are also deliberately left unpainted and exposed.

“The architecture and design of Sangini House explores ways in which it can respond to the context and spirit of the heritage in which it stands,” the architects explained. “The office building for the Sangini group, a leading construction firm delivering technical excellence in building design, characterizes new strategies for a flexible, column-free office space that creates a new urban venture in the city’s dense business district.”

Photography by Noughts and Crosses via Urbanscape Architects

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